Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Port

If Rio is the heart of Brazil and Sao Paulo is its brain, Salvador is its spirit. It was here in 1549 that the Portuguese founded the capital city and chief port of their new colony. Vast fortunes were made through the slave trade, and the introduction of a large African population had an important effect on the local culture. Salvador is built in two levels, with the most appealing being the upper city, the lovely colonial neighborhood of Pelourinho, which in recent years has been completely restored to its former glory.